Ultimate Workout Machine

ABSTRACT

Workout equipment that detects and adjusts the effective weight automatically, within individual repetitions and between sets. The equipment is able to vary the exercise resistance during the stroke to allow the user to push through a weak spot and gain the maximum benefit of exercising to their full range of motion. The equipment detects weakness preceding muscle failure by the speed at which the user is manipulating the device. Users are instructed to complete each repetition slowly, smoothly and to their fullest extension or flexion and to return to the starting position slowly and under control at all times. The equipment can detect when a user is slowing down and straining at a given level of resistance, or at a particular point in the stroke path, and it will automatically lessen the effective weight to allow the user to push through and complete the stroke. The overall effect of this is to spot the user in the same manner that a personal trainer would provide assistance at the critical point in the exercise stroke. This allows the user to safely workout with heavier weights than they would be able to do alone. 
     An additional feature of the machine is personalized monitoring. A computer added to the equipment can adjust the weight between repetitions to, for example, provide the user with the ability to “stack” at incremental weights. The computer is programmed with the user&#39;s personal fitness goals which determine the “success criterion” for the workout. When a user achieves their success criterion, the machine “counts” those repetitions towards the overall fitness goals and adjusts the effective weight between repetitions, and between workout sessions. 
     This exercise equipment allows an individual to increase his or her level of fitness rapidly, safely, with minimal fitness plateaus and without the need for a personal trainer to spot them.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS U.S. Patent Documents

3690654 April 1971 Hepburn 4765610 August 1988 Sidwell 4828257 May 1989 Dyer 4921244 May 1990 Berroth 4998721 March 1991 Anders 5277683 January 1994 Wilkins 5314394 May 1994 Ronan 5407403 April 1995 Coleman 5431609 July 1995 Panagiotopoulos 5468203 November 1995 Okonkwo 5716306 Febuary 1998 Gallay 6261205 July 2001 Elefson 6293892 September 2001 Slawinski 6602168 August 2003 Duke 6632159 October 2003 Slattery 6926649 August 2005 Slawinski 6949052 September 2005 Millington 7163488 January 2007 Anders

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This present invention is part of the field of exercise as it relates to health, fitness, therapy, training and overall wellness.

2. Description of Related Art

Various proposals have heretofore been made for facilitating physical exercise, representatives of which include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,654 granted to Doublas Hepburn on Sep. 12, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,721 granted to Douglas Anders on Mar. 12, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,683 granted to Chester Wilkins on Jan. 11, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,205 granted to Patrick Elefson on Jul. 17, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,168 granted to John Duke on Aug. 5, 2003.

The foregoing are illustrative of known exercise equipment systems, which may provide resistance in any number of ways. Their focus is primarily on targeting specific muscle groups for development, achieving a wide range of motion for strength and flexibility development, and creating safe workout stroke arcs that provide maximum benefit to the user.

Various proposals have heretofore been granted for equipment that provides the weightlifter with assistance during training, representatives of which include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,610 granted to David Sidwell on Aug. 23, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,244 granted to Kurt Berroth on May 1, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,394 granted to John Ronan on May 24, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,403 granted to Vernon Coleman on Apr. 18, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,609 granted to Anastasios Panagiotopoulos and Razvan Cristescu on Jul. 11, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,203 granted to Charles Olonkwo on Nov. 21, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,306 granted to Sherman Gallay on Feb. 10, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,892 granted to Michael Slawinski on Sep. 25, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,159 granted to Patrick Slattery on Oct. 14, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,649 granted to Michael Slawinski on Aug. 9, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,488 granted to Anders; Douglas H. and Walton; Ronald D. on Apr. 17, 2004.

The foregoing are illustrative of known exercise equipment systems, which may provide assistance during training. Their focus is primarily on the safety of the user and the principle of “spotting” to assist the user from being hurt.

Various proposals have heretofore been made for monitoring or controlling an exercise program or regimen, representatives of which include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,257 granted to Richard Dyer on May 9, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,052 granted to Peter Millington on Sep. 27, 2005.

The foregoing and other existing proposals outline ways to conduct, monitor, and adjust exercise training and physical conditioning, there yet remains a need for further improvement in safety, efficacy, and achievement monitoring for fitness training, physical therapy, conditioning, and overall wellness.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is a machine which provides targeted, highly customizable, appropriate, safe, reliable, workouts for all stages of development, and all phases of training.

The present invention varies the level of resistance to adjust the effective weight being manipulated by the user. The machine monitors the speed of the exercise stroke and as the user slows down, the machine is able to lighten the effective weight being manipulated by the user. The overall effect is to “spot” or “assist” the user by smoothly reducing the effective weight when the user slows down at a weak spot in the stroke before muscle failure occurs.

The method and technique of “spotting”, or “assistance”, is used extensively by personal trainers and others to increase the benefits, safety, and effectiveness of exercise equipment.

This present invention strives to provide automatic “spotting” or “assistance” to the user during the workout process. In this way the user gains the benefit of safely using the exercise equipment to its fullest potential.

The system may be capable of picking back up as the user pushes through the point of muscle fatigue to achieve full range of motion and full resistance weight bearing for the exercise repetition. In this manner the system would only lighten the effective weight at the critical moment when the user needed it. The effect is the same as when a personal trainer steps in and assists at that critical moment.

Such a system would be computer controlled and could monitor and control many parameters such as number of repetitions in a set, increase the effective weight between sets, and watch for sudden failure or release of the load.

In this manner, the level of resistance or effective weight is always appropriate for the user at their particular level of development and particular phase of training.

The benefits of this system include safety at all phases of training and development. If the user reaches a point of muscle failure, there is no risk of crush injury, loss of balance, or other significant weight related injury because the present invention is responsive to this event.

It is one general object of the present invention to facilitate a user working safely with heavy resistance.

It is another object of the present invention to increase the speed of the user's ability to achieve personal, health and fitness goals.

It is still another object of the present invention to improve overall fitness, training, health, recovery, conditioning, and general wellness.

In accordance with one feature of the present invention, users are able to “push through” to higher levels of weight training without the outside assistance of a “spotter”.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the user is able to minimize fitness plateaus by working with small incremental “effective weights” controlled by the varying resistance.

In accordance with still another feature of the present invention, users receive a highly personal training routine responsive to, adjusted for and affected by their past performance.

These, and other objects and features of the present invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description, by way of two examples, with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Is a schematic view illustrating the principal components of the system in a gravity based workout machine.

FIG. 2 Is a schematic view illustrating the principal components of the system in a workout machine which provides resistance through bands and a computer controlled servo.

These two drawings illustrate examples of how the technique of variable resistance may be achieved. The present invention is not limited to the type of machine depicted in these two drawings. The present invention may be applied to any form of exercise machine.

DEFINITIONS

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the present invention, definitions of a few selected terms as employed in this specification and claims are set forth as follows:

Effective Weight The effective weight is the sum of the main weights plus any additional resistance. The main weights may be in the form of a traditional weight stack, bodyweight pulled against gravity, bands, springs, servo motors, fans, belts, or any other form of resistance. This is also referred to as the load.

Personal Trainer: A user may choose to workout with a partner, supervisor, or a professional assistant. This assistant may actively participate in the workout routine and “spot” the user for safety and to help the user maximize the benefits of the workout. This professional may be a professional Personal or Sports Trainer, a Physical or Occupational Therapist, a Coach, or other health or exercise enthusiast. Any reference to actions or tasks performed by a Personal Trainer in this document is meant to include any and all of these professionals.

Spotting: Is the act of supporting another during weight resistance training. The assistant will touch the bar and support just enough weight that the user can complete the repetition. This allows the user to lift or push more than they could normally do alone. The Spotter is the assistant. It is important that the Spotter knows when to provide assistance, and how much of the load to take.

Progressive Overload: A workout technique which comprises starting with a relatively heavy effective weight and reducing that effective weight on each successive repetition. The goal of progressive overload is to work the targeted muscle to a state of fatigue within only a few repetitions. The result is that the targeted muscle grows larger and stronger. This technique is safe, effective, and highly beneficial. This technique is commonly used by Personal Trainers, Therapists and Fitness professionals.

Stroke: Each cycle of an exercise is commonly called a repetition. Several repetitions comprise a “set”. The stroke is one half of one repetition, and may be performed in any manner, along any arc or movement.

Success Criterion When a user successfully completes an exercise repetition it “counts” that towards the target number of successful repetitions to the next fitness step. Success is defined by the completion of the repetition at the target speed, in a smooth continuous motion. If the user fails to complete a repetition fully, drops the load, or does not achieve the target speed, the repetition does not “count” towards incrementing to the next fitness level.

Variable Resistance The present invention includes providing a mechanism for controlling the effective weight by varying incremental resistance to the workout for the purpose of spotting. The amount of resistance is infinitely variable and translates into an increase or decrease in effective weight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO EXEMPLARY MACHINES

Individuals looking to workout may not have the luxury of a Personal Trainer who can be completely devoted to their individual needs. Proper use of resistance equipment includes working to the maximum range of motion for each exercise. As the weights are increased there will often be a point of weakness in that range of motion where the user slows down and may not be able to “push through” on their own. If the user is unable to workout to the full range of motion, undesirable development may occur. Alternatively, the user may become discouraged and not be able to meet their personal fitness goals. Normally a personal trainer will assist the workout by “spotting” or by providing minimal assistance, taking on some of the load, during a repetition to allow the user to complete the repetition fully.

This present invention allows an individual to workout in this same manner without having a Personal Trainer dedicated to their individual needs. The present invention uses speed as the gauge to detect when a user is reaching or surpassing a weak spot or a point of failure and adjusts the resistance accordingly.

One example is the use of a gravity-based workout machine. Such a system is illustrated in FIG. 1. The user rides on the sled, moving up and down on the rails with each repetition. The angle of the sled to the ground determines the “effective weight” of the particular workout repetition. The sled may be attached to a worm gear which may be computer controlled to smoothly adjust the angle of the sled. As the user becomes stronger in their training program, they can begin to control more weight. The computer responds to this by adjusting the sled upwards increasing the angle of the body to the ground thereby increasing the “effective weight” manipulated by the user.

If the user experiences a weakness at a particular point in the stroke the computer will detect the slowdown in the speed of the repetition and will lower the sled slightly until the user can “push through” and complete the stroke. This adjustment is incrementally variable and can be gross or fine in nature.

A model such as this can be used to accomplish hundreds of different exercises.

Additional features may be possible. For example, if the user drops the load suddenly, the sled will lower and the user will not experience a sudden jerk or violently hit the end of the rails.

The second system illustrated in FIG. 2 depicts a machine that uses bands for the primary workout level and a computer controlled servo motor for the addition variable resistance. The role of the servo in this case is twofold. It provides additional resistance to the stroke movement, and it is the primary point of detecting the speed of the stroke and feeding that information back to the computer system.

A model such as this can be used to accomplish hundreds of different exercises.

If the user drops the load suddenly, the server will quickly reverse direction and match the resistance of the bands. The user will not experience a sudden jerk or snap the bands.

If the user experiences a weakness at a particular point in the stroke the computer will detect the slowdown in the speed of the repetition and will adjust the resistance until the user can “push through” and fully complete the stroke.

The servo is sampled by the computer thousands of times per second, and its reaction time is equal to or better than that of the human. In the case of a dropped load the servo can fully reverse direction and match the resistance of the bands without harming the user. The system is set to return slowly to the starting position.

It will be recalled that features of the present invention include accelerated attainment of increased fitness level. The progressive overload technique offers the user a chance to target specific body areas and muscle groups. The decision to perform a particular exercise is still done by the user, and the employ of a Personal Trainer is still acceptable. A Personal Trainer can help get started, identify personal goals, keep the user motivated, help with the selection of which exercises to perform, and recommend in what order to perform them. A Personal Trainer can also help troubleshoot when performance is not meeting expectations.

In summary, the present invention is able to provide the user with personalized assistance by varying the resistance and in effect changing the effective weight during, across, and between repetitions and sets.

It should be remembered that these examples of an exercise machine were intended to be illustrative, not restrictive, and variations, changes, modifications, and/or adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this present invention. The exemplary machines herein are intended to cover any alternatives, modifications, or equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as described herein.

The terms and expressions employed herein are employed as terms of description and not of limitation; and thus there is no intent to exclude equivalents, but on the contrary it is intended to cover any and all equivalents that may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. Exercise equipment that has highly variable resistance and is responsive to the speed at which the user performs the repetition. This resistance can be in the form of a traditional weight stack, gravity, bands, springs, servo motors, fans, belts, or any other form of resistance applied to exercise equipment. The ability to vary this resistance can be accomplished by applying a break, a servo motor, by changing the angle of the pull of gravity, or by other means, on top of the base resistance mechanism for the exercise equipment. The equipment is responsive to a slowing in the stroke with a smooth reduction in exercise resistance. The result is the user is “spotted” during the exercise repetition as needed.
 2. Exercise equipment according to claim 1 wherein said device is computer controlled.
 3. Exercise equipment according to claim 2 wherein the computer controls a servo or other mechanism and can provide a smooth continuum of increasing or decreasing resistance throughout the exercise stroke.
 4. Exercise equipment according to claim 2 wherein the computer is programmed to the fitness goals of the user and adjusts the target speed, number of repetitions in a set, and other success criterion accordingly.
 5. Exercise equipment according to claim 4 wherein the computer is programmed to increment or decrement the effective weight at the end of each successful set of repetitions.
 6. Exercise equipment according to claim 1 wherein the gravity resistance is varied by changing the angle of the equipment thereby changing the effective weight.
 7. Exercise equipment according to claim 6 wherein said device is computer controlled.
 8. Exercise equipment according to claim 7 wherein the computer is programmed to the fitness goals of the user and adjusts the target speed, number of repetitions in a set, and other success criterion accordingly.
 9. Exercise equipment according to claim 7 wherein the computer is programmed to increment or decrement the effective weight at the end of each successful set of repetitions. 